Shepherding Ideas Into Action

John Minervini, 30, made his way back to his hometown of Memphis by way of Portland, Boston, and Shanghai. He is a graduate of Harvard University. His reasons for returning were a personal one–to care for his grandmother. John has become rooted in the city, serving as a cheerleader for whatever program and issue he’s discussing. John recently became the Community Engagement Manager for New Memphis Institute, where he can continue his role as cheerleader by engaging New Memphis Institute alumni. Keeping alumni engaged so that they stay in Memphis is hard work, but we can’t think of anyone better to champion talent retention in Memphis. Retaining talent is literally his job!

We chose John because of his constant and energizing promotion of our city.

If you could describe your feelings about Memphis in three words, what would they be?

I believe that sea change can be traced in part to the efforts of organizations—like New Memphis Institute—that recruit, train, and retain top-shelf talent. By connecting city builders with great jobs, networks, service opportunities, cultural experiences, and professional development, we are making Memphis an appealing place for them to live.

The last book I finished—on the plane to San Francisco over winter break—was Bring Up The Bodies, by Hilary Mantel. It’s like Game Of Thrones, except everything’s historically accurate, and the prose is achingly beautiful.

What makes Memphis different from other cities?

If you live here, on some level, Memphis is your project.

What’s the one misconception people have about Memphis that is simply untrue?

People assume there isn’t an indie film scene here. In fact, Movie Maker just ranked Memphis among the ten best US cities for filmmakers to live and work. See, for example, Brooks Films, Filmes Fatales, Indie Memphis, Memphis Film Society, Craig Brewer, Melissa Sweazy, Morgan Jon Fox. I could go on.

What area of town is your favorite and why?

The Fairgrounds. When I bike down Tiger Lane or along Early Maxwell, I see so much potential. Ask yourself: what if these 155 acres could be something amazing? What if there were a plan that would engage the surrounding neighborhoods and make Memphis a better place to live? Over the next few years, it will be the responsibility of all of us to figure out what that looks like.

What can Memphians do to make a difference in our community?

I’m going to plagiarize on this one. I recently got to see Bryan Stevenson speak in Memphis. He’s an activist for social justice and the author of Just Mercy—another great read, FYI.

Stevenson says that if we want to change the world, we’ve got to do four things. 1) Get proximate to the problems we care about. 2) Change the narrative. 3) Remain hopeful. 4) And sometimes, we’ve got to do uncomfortable things. I don’t know about you, but that sounds right to me.

What is one thing you’re most excited about for Memphis?

Density. Because you can’t have a walkable city when you’re stuck with a population density of just 2,000 people per square mile.